SAN FRANCISCO _ Piece by piece, the San Francisco Giants are rediscovering parts of their October selves.
Hunter Pence is rampaging through the dugout again. The ball is taking fortuitous bounces.
And a lineup that has struggled to drive the ball most of the second half was able to employ a successful gambit from past playoff victories in a 7-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies Thursday night.
Tim Flannery's RTI (run thrown in) is alive and well.
The Giants played small ball to perfection in a three-run sixth inning, and a round-faced pitcher with a busted groin turned a sacrifice bunt into a game-breaking play. The Colorado Rockies weren't in position to field Johnny Cueto's roller, and Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado threw it away to allow a pair of runs to score.
It was reminiscent of the night in the 2014 NL Division Series when the Giants squared to bunt, then folded their arms and let the Washington Nationals self-destruct on what Flannery, then the third-base coach, called an "RTI."
The Giants weren't picky about how they scored seven. The runs came across on a ground out, a bloop single, a sacrifice fly, Cueto's bunt/Arenado's error, a bases-loaded walk and another sacrifice fly.
The Giants would like nothing better than to collect some RTIs, RBIs and maybe even a few Ws in the postseason. They nudged a bit closer to that opportunity, maintaining their one-game edge over the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card spot with three to play. The New York Mets hold the top spot, one game ahead of the Giants.
Cueto had a rocky first inning and the Giants trailed 2-0 when the out-of-town scoreboard confirmed it: they would have to rally to win to keep from falling into a tie for the final playoff spot in the National League.
That's because the Cardinals won their game against the Cincinnati Reds with a controversial double that bounced on the warning track and glanced off a scoreboard that is out of play, according to Busch Stadium ground rules; the winning run scored from first base and umpires vacated the field before the Reds could request a replay challenge.
The Giants made sure that apparent injustice wouldn't lead to a dead heat with the Cardinals.
Cueto, who was appearing for the first time since injuring his groin nine days earlier at Dodger Stadium, overcame some first-inning mistakes and re-established himself as a frontline rotation presence while striking out 11 in seven innings _ a vital development in both the Giants' short-term view, and for any aspirations of a deep, even-year playoff run.
There is no question the Giants have the starting pitching to compete with anyone. Matt Moore, Jeff Samardzija and Cueto each struck out 11 while the Giants took two of three from the Rockies _ the first time San Francisco pitchers logged double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive games since 1975, when Ed Halicki (10) no-hit the Mets and Peter Falcone (12) and John Montefusco (14) followed with strong efforts against the Montreal Expos.
And, of course, there is Madison Bumgarner, who takes the ball in Friday's series opener against Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill.
Cueto (18-5) finished both a successful return to the rotation and a splendid first season as a Giant after signing a six-year, $130 million contract. He threw 219 2/3 innings, currently second behind Washington's Max Scherzer in the NL, posted a 2.79 ERA, struck out 198 and started the All-Star Game.
But he struggled in the first inning and barely brushed 90 mph with his fastball as the Rockies collected two runs on three extra-base hits. Arenado's double gave him 24 RBIs, matching his total from last season _ the only two times an opponent has knocked in that many against the Giants in the past 13 seasons.
But Cueto settled down from there, reaching back for 92-93 mph, appearing crisper and more comfortable on the mound with each inning. He only allowed one more runner into scoring position, and helped to defuse that inning by picking Daniel Descalso off first base following a successful replay challenge.
The Giants missed two early chances to score against tough Rockies right-hander Jonathan Gray, but they broke through to tie in the fourth. Buster Posey drew a leadoff walk, Pence lined a double, Brandon Crawford hit an RBI ground out and Joe Panik got a bloop single to fall that scored Pence.
They used even softer contact in the sixth, scoring three runs without hitting a ball out of the infield.
Crawford started the rally when his hard drive up the middle hit Gray's shoe and the pitcher couldn't immediately locate the deflection. Gray compounded the situation by throwing the baseball to first base as if it were a skipped stone on a pond _ and sure enough, it skipped past first baseman Gerardo Parra for an error that allowed Crawford to take second base.
As much as Giants manager Bruce Bochy loathes the sacrifice bunt, the situation screamed for it. Angel Pagan did not try for the element of surprise, squaring before Gray released the pitch. But it was so perfectly struck for a single that not even Arenado could make a play of it. Panik followed with a ground ball that Parra scooped up and immediately fired to third as Crawford slid headfirst into the base.
It might have been fortuitous that Crawford reached with his right hand, instead of his left one that included a finger he dislocated a week ago at Dodger Stadium. He was able to angle his body away from Arenado's tag just long enough to reach the corner of the base, and the safe call survived a Rockies replay challenge.
Conor Gillaspie followed with a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and with one out, Cueto attempted to advance the runners.
The Rockies employed a partial wheel play, in the hope of cutting down Pagan at third base. But Arenado realized too late that Cueto's bunt would get past the pitcher. He reversed course from covering third base to fielding the bunt, and with Cueto running hard down the line, Arenado hurried his throw. As it bounded away, two runs scored and Pence led a merry band of Giants as they celebrated at the dugout rail.
The Giants added a pair of runs in the eighth on Belt's bases-loaded walk and Posey's sacrifice fly, which turned a save situation into a tune-up inning for Sergio Romo in the ninth.
